As Christine Holmes in the 1960s, Ms Sparkle had a respected solo and session standing which included a successful stint in The Family Dogg.
By the early 70’s a glam rock reinvention was thought the best way to catch the hit mood of the emerging sub-teen record market.
Cue Glitter Band-style drums, fuzz-guitars, and hand-claps all the way through her cover of The Beatles‘ Eight Days A Week (1974) – which, save for the vocals, could have been a Gary Glitter release.
Her debut album, Image (1974), contained glam remakes of girl group chestnuts including It’s in His Kiss and Baby, I Love You.
Her 1975 single, King Of The Kops, was a tribute to TV tough guy Kojak (as played by Telly Savalas) and contained the lyrics, “I’ve had a crush on you since the day I saw you on TV/and though you’re twice my age you’ve awoken all my sexuality/you shaved off your hair and you’re a little overweight…”
But her real career low-point came with her glammed-up version of Hokey Cokey (1974). The B-side of her single Pussycat Tiger (1976) was her version of a song she co-wrote with Terry Britten, Devil Woman, which was a huge hit for Cliff Richard in 1976.
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